On June 8th, the Babbit Bodner team had the incredible opportunity to celebrate and learn from female entrepreneurs and leaders at our quarterly Women’s Power Breakfast. Each quarter, the event focuses on a different theme specifically selected based on current trends in the business world. The theme of last week’s event was “Disrupting the Status Quo: Women Leading Private Equity and Venture Capital.” Those in attendance were able to hear from an incredibly influential panel, listed below:
- Stewart Davis, Vice President, Roark Capital
- Melissa Baker, Founding Partner, Fenwick Brands
- Melissa Heyman, Partner, ASH Ventures
- Aliya White, Managing Partner, Peachtree Minority Venture Fund at Goizueta Business School
We have provided 5 noteworthy takeaways from the event that we personally want to hang onto a little longer.
1. “A great place for people to work is a great place for women to work.”
The best companies to work for are the ones that simply respect people regardless of gender, age, race, religion, etc. When you work for a company that simply respects all people, you feel confident to grow in your role and pursue lofty goals. There is no better way to sum it up: seek out a workplace that values humans in every form.
2. “Treat searching for your boss like searching for your soulmate.”
In other words, be picky! A good boss will teach you, empower you, and bring out the best in you, just like your soulmate should. When interviewing for jobs, it’s important to ask questions that will tell you whether or not you will be valued at a company, or whether the leadership is a fit for you. Finding a job is a mutual decision-making process, and a “soulmate boss” is a non-negotiable.
3. “You can make up for a lot of things with attitude, grit, and hard work.”
Our panel was unanimous in the idea that they, as leaders, would always prefer to invest time into mentoring an employee who gives 100% effort at all times and is eager to learn and do their best, regardless of their skill level. As an employee, you should always be striving to be curious, wanting to learn and grow as much as possible. Knowledge and skills often come second to a good attitude and willingness to learn. Be the person in your workplace that gives all your effort at whatever task you are given.
4. “Always be working on one of three things: your ability to communicate well, to manage your emotional state, or to manage your time.”
All three of these skills are invaluable to professional success. Our panel suggests striving to better yourself in one of these areas at any point in the year. When you are making a conscious effort to improve, you are actively making yourself a better employee. Improving these skills requires learning from mistakes and making a decision to do things differently the next time.
5. “Lean into your wisdom and intuition.”
We’ve all heard the phrase ‘when you know you know.’ This applies in the workplace, as well. The definition of intuition is a thing that one knows or considers likely from instinctive feeling rather than conscious reasoning. Prior knowledge and instincts are vital in decision-making processes, so trust what you know.
We are so grateful for this opportunity to hear and learn from some of the most powerful women in business. We are eagerly awaiting the next Women’s Power Breakfast!
